Exposure (a Pinecest story)
by edwardorford
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Dipper and Mabel's first Christmas "together" is memorable, for more than one reason! (Yes, this is Pinecest. Making it obvious ahead of time, so please don't read if you don't like the idea of consensual sibling incest.)
1. December 25

" _Dipper?" Mabel's voice is shaky with both uncertainty and the chill in her bones._

 _Dipper is lost in thought, trying in vain to think his way out of their predicament, trying to ignore the canned festive music playing from the speaker of a nearby closed-for-Christmas-Day store. His eyes shift from looking at nothing to peering directly into his sister's eyes, inches away from his. He tries to suppress his own shiver from the cold air._

" _Yeah?" he replies._

 _Mabel's bottom lip quivers. "What … what are we going to do?"_

* * *

"Mmmmm …. oh Dipper …. what are you going to do?" Mabel purred teasingly as her brother's kisses trailed across her neck from her ear to her throat, then slowly downward towards the top button of her warm flannel pajamas.

Dipper hummed back happily. "I don't know," he mummered playfully. One of his hands slid up her body from where it had been holding her waist, up her side and across her collarbone, stopping at the offending top button. He toyed with it gently. "I was _thinking_ … that I might open one of my presents early!"

One of Mabel's hands ran through her twin's thick hair, pulling his head tighter to her neck. The other hand glided up and down Dipper's bare torso from his neck down to his pajama bottoms. "Aren't you being presumptuous?" she whispered while craning her neck back to improve his access from their awkward seated positions beside each other. "I think jolly old Saint Mabelus has you on the _naughty_ list this year, little boy." She let out a tiny, delighted squeal as Dipper's other hand slid under her top and just barely tweaked one of her nipples. He chuckled happily as his lips and tongue teased across Mabel's neckline while his fingers lightly caressed the skin of her breasts. The tips of her fingers found their way beneath the waistband of Dipper's PJs. "You just might have to wait a bit longer to unwrap _this_ gift, you scallywag!" she breathed.

"Hey, _I_ wasn't the one who came sneaking over with mistletoe tonight," Dipper whispered back into Mabel's neck while gently squeezing one breast with the exact pressure Mabel liked. Mabel moaned low in her throat pulled her hands up to grasp and lift Dipper's face, just enough that she could lean in to softly place her lips on her brother's eye. He shuddered and gasped as she gently kissed his closed eyelid. Rivers of tiny shocks ran down his spine as Mabel moved over and gave the same deliciously torturous treatment to his other eye.

Mabel smirked lovingly at Dipper's mushy face, then glanced at the clock on Dipper's bedside table. The digital display read "12:01". Her smirk grew wider. "Well, Brobro, it's official!" she said quietly. "It's now Christmas Day. Our first Christmas _together!_ "

"Merry Christmas," Dipper replied dreamily. Then his expression fell slightly. "I just wish I could give you a _real_ present. You know … the kind of present a girl is _supposed_ to get from her boyfriend."

His sister was having none of his typical down-on-himself behavior. She gave him a quick hard kiss, and pressed their noses together. "Hey! I've already got exactly what I want." Mabel snickered and wiggled closer. "Haven't you heard that old song?" She forced a tiny clearing of her throat, then started singing in as quiet a voice as possible:

"IIIIIIIII ... _want_ a Dip-po- _Po_ -tamus for Christ- _Maaaas_!"

Dipper blushed, a fond but anxious smile breaking on his face. "Mabes! Shhh!" he whispered.

"Ahhh- _On_ -ly a Dip-po- _Po_ -tamus will _dooooo_ …" Mabel continued, her eyes twinkling in mischief.

Dipper suppressed both his own laughter and Mabel's off-key singing by pressing his mouth over hers. She continued to hum the silly Christmas tune through their kissing, the melody gradually fading into quiet groans of arousal as the intensity of the kiss increased.

Slowly the sixteen-year-old siblings lowered their bodies onto Dipper's bed, intertwining together as their lips remained locked. They rolled over without stopping, Mabel laying comfortably on top of Dipper. Hearts pounding, they broke their kiss ever so slowly, touched their lips together again, and then they backed away a fraction of an inch to look into one another's eyes.

"I love you," they sighed in unison. smiling gently and happily at their uncanny twin bond.

Suddenly, Mabel kissed Dipper forcefully, drawing a surprised but pleased grunt from him. Then she sat up on top of him and started unbuttoning the garish green and red pajama top. "You know, it's getting kinda warm in here," she softly growled with a smug grin. She opened up her top and pulled it off slowly, loving the look in her brother's eyes as he gazed at her naked breasts. "But I could get cold again, ya know," she continued, "so you might have to, maybe ... keep me warm somehow?"

Dipper slowly ran his hands up past her ribs, his thumbs gently caressing the sides of her soft mounds, then up to her face where he cupped her cheek in one palm and moved her long hair back from her face with the other. He marvelled at her. His twin sister. His best friend. The love of his life.

"I'm pretty sure I can figure out how to keep you warm," he whispered back, slowly pulling her face down to his.

* * *

" _I'll figure it out, Mabel," Dipper replies, pulling her closer to himself, trying to preserve their body heat against the icy wind. He watches as another pedestrian passes by them, ignoring the shivering teenagers huddled together on the sidewalk_

 _Mabel's expression is full of fear and doubt. Dipper can tell that she knows. She knows that he doesn't have a clue what to do. That he has no plan. That he can't protect them by himself. That he …_

… _that he needs Mabel as much as she needs him._

" _We'll … we'll figure it out together! Okay?" Dipper says through chattering teeth. "… We can do anything as long as we have each other … you know that … right?"_

* * *

"You're so beautiful," gasped Dipper. "You're wonderful … you're so … perfect … you know that … right?"

Mabel smiled widely. "Of course I am," she replied in her own labored breaths. "But only when … I'm with you … ya big dork!"

The twins were covered in a thin film of perspiration. Mabel sat astride Dipper with her hands on his shoulders, pushing herself up and down. He held her hips and moved with her, joining himself into her as far as he could.

Mabel leaned forward and gave Dipper a deep kiss, pressing her nude body onto his, her long hair cascading over their heads. She continued to rock her hips up and down slowly in a deep, tense rhythm, matching Dipper's strong, slow thrusts. They squeezed tightly to one another with every muscle, Dipper pulling on Mabel's behind and lower back with one arm and holding her shoulder and upper back tight with the other. They were loving the intimacy of their perfect bond, trying to press themselves even closer together if at all possible.

Dipper was lost in the overwhelming joy of hopeless love. Nothing in the world mattered more to him than being with Mabel. As he desperately kissed and clutched and thrust himself inside her, he knew without a doubt that he couldn't fathom life without her. He was oblivious to everything else ….

… except for three soft knocks on his bedroom door …

… followed immediately by the door being opened by their mother.

The twins froze and turned their heads to gape at the door in horror as their mother stepped softly into the mostly darkened room. She whispered apologetically. "Dipper … sorry if you're asleep, but I hid a present of Mabel's in your closet, and now I'm going to put it out under the tr- …" Their mother's voice stopped as she looked in the direction of the bed for the first time.

Dipper couldn't move. Neither could Mabel. There was no getting around the fact that they were naked on top of the sheets, they were locked in a tight, sweaty embrace, and they were having sex together. Terror filled their eyes, watching their mother, wondering with pure dread what was going to come next.

Their mother's face twisted in shock, her eyes wild. Her hands slapped to her mouth to keep herself from screaming. Frantic, high-pitched noises of panic emerged as her eyes squinted, then closed tightly. She started hyperventilating through her fingers.

The twins were as immobile as petrified trees, not having a clue what to do.

Finally, their mother stilled her breathing somewhat, her eyes still squeezed shut. She spoke in a low and furious rasp. "Mabel, _get_ to your room _this instant!_ Dipper, _get_ under your sheets!" Mabel jumped up off Dipper as fast as she could, grabbing her pajamas as she bolted for the door, and Dipper yanked up his covers. "Just … .just _stay_ in your rooms! _Both of you!_ " their mother hissed as Mabel dashed across the hall to her own bedroom, and shut it as quickly but quietly as she could.

Alone with Dipper, his mother reopened her eyes and looked at her son. He had never seen her look that way. Anger, revulsion, and disgust were written on her expression. But most of all, he could see … complete disappointment. As if he had hurt his mother in the worst way possible.

"How … how _could_ you … how could you _do_ this ... " she stammered, her hands shaking violently. Then with a great gasping breath, she turned and swiftly left, closing Dipper's door behind her. Dipper faintly heard the master bedroom door close a moment later. The room where their father was likely asleep in bed, but who knew for how long?

Dipper realized that he, too, was hyperventilating, and he fought to get control of himself. His worst nightmare, the thing he talked himself into believing would never happen, had just happened! Their parents knew! There was no going back!

* * *

" _When do you think we can go back?" Mabel asks._

 _The wind had picked up even more, and Dipper had known that they couldn't stay on the exposed sidewalk. They walk down the street, looking for a safe place to find shelter from the unseasonably cold blasts of wind._

 _Dipper has been wondering the same thing as Mabel. What do Mom and Dad think of us? Will they ever want us back? If we call, what can we say? How do we even call them now?_

 _Even though he knows it isn't there, Dipper reaches his fingers to the empty pocket where his cell phone normally would be._

* * *

Dipper's cell phone buzzed on the dresser.

He threw back the sheet and lunged across the room, knowing the text message at this hour could only be from Mabel.

"omg dip moms gnna tel dad!" read the text message.

Dipper's finger flew over the screen. "I know shit Mabes Im sorry" he fired back.

Mabel's reply was immediate. "get drssd now we mght hav to go!"

"Mabes thts crzy. Why? Wher wld we go?" Dipper replied.

He didn't wait long for an answer. "its dad hes gnna freak i knw it jst put clths n shoes on now" Dipper started to type a disagreement, but another message immediately popped up.

"trust me!"

All their lives, Mabel hadn't always been the most reliable sister. She was distractible, off the wall, and just plain goofy. But when they were twelve, Dipper had learned that when they really needed each other, she could always be counted on. And she never used the phrase "trust me" unless she was absolutely sure of something.

Dipper swiped a fast "ok" on the phone, then quickly found and put on underwear and jeans. It was the middle of the night in December, and a bit chilly for the Bay Area, so he put a thick plaid flannel button-up shirt over a t-shirt, just in case. He located his sneakers and pulled them on as well.

He was reaching for his trusty old pine tree cap when his phone buzzed again. Unlocking the screen, he saw the message. "dip r u rdy im so scard"

Dipper sat on his bed and punched out a quick reply. "prtty much. but i dont thnk we need to be in such panic"

Mabel was surely typing a response, but Dipper never received it.

"THEY WERE DOING _WHAT_?!" came the loud, angry voice of their father from the master bedroom, at the end of the hall from the twins' rooms. It was a tone of voice Dipper had never heard from their father. He hadn't imagined he was capable of such fury, but Mabel must have known. She was always a better judge of character than he was. The man's shout was immediately followed by the thud of feet hitting the floor quickly.

The ferocity of his father's tone of voice and the sound of his father getting up out of bed triggered Dipper into action. He leapt up towards his bedroom door while screaming a single word at the top of his lungs.

"RUN!"

Yanking open his door, he dashed across to where Mabel was just opening her door. He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him towards the stairs. "C'mon!" he cried frantically.

They weren't halfway down the stairway when Dipper heard the master bedroom door opening, along with their mother's pleas for her husband to calm down.

"What the hell are you doing? Get back here!" their father shouted at the twins from behind and above them.

Dipper and Mabel took the last of the stairs at a dead run. Dipper hurled himself at the front door, unlocking it and throwing it open with a bang. "Go! Go!" Dipper urged.

Their mother's voice behind them grew to a terrified screech. "Oh god! Dipper! Mabel! Where are you going?"

Hand in hand, the terrified twins sprinted across the front lawn and down the residential street, heading for the nearby commercial districts of Oakland. Their parents weren't dressed to pursue them, and Dipper knew it would take their folks time to be able to chase after he and his sister. They heard their mother's panicked cries and their father's angry shouts behind them as they fled around a corner into the dark night.

* * *

" _I don't know when we can go back," Dipper says as they continue to slowly walk together. "I think we hurt Mom pretty bad. And Dad …" His voice trails off as he remembers the fear that his father's voice had instilled in him._

 _The twins are exhausted. They have been awake for almost forty hours, and there is no more adrenaline left in their bodies to keep them going. They realize their thoughts are sluggish, and they're very cold. They need to find a place to sleep._

 _Mabel spots an alcove set into the facade of an old bank building. It is sheltered from the brunt of the wind, and lit by a streetlight so it would be reasonably safe. They decide they cannot find another place any better to collapse._

 _They lean together into the corner of the alcove. Dipper puts his arms around Mabel, giving her his shoulder to lay her head on. Mabel's arms wrap around Dipper's torso._

 _As Dipper shifts his position, trying to get comfortable, he looks across the street and sees a digital clock in the window of one of the line of closed storefronts. 11:00pm. Christmas is almost over, he thinks to himself in despair, wondering how the best day of the year could possibly have gone worse._

* * *

The bells at the top of The Campanile at UC Berkeley chimed eleven times. It was late in the morning on Christmas Day, and the college campus was nearly deserted. The day was sunny but brisk. the clear air and blue sky looking beautiful, but those who went outside were greeted by a stiff, cool breeze that had developed since early morning. Even in the bright sunshine, the temperature was dropping with the increasing wind.

Mabel and Dipper walked aimlessly on the empty sidewalks of the university. It had been almost ten hours since they had fled their home in Piedmont. The full impact of their situation was finally setting in. The twins were completely alone on Christmas Day.

Dipper thought back to the first panicked moments after their flight across the lawn. Their cell phones had rung less than a minute afterwards, and they both quickly turned off the power. He and Mabel agreed that they were too scared, that they needed to keep away from their parents. At first, they darted into the gaps between houses as they made their way out of the suburban city, avoiding the headlights of the rare passing cars, not knowing if they would be seen by their parents who may be looking for them. Once, at about three in the morning while hiding in a shadow, they spotted their father behind the wheel of his car as it passed, and could see the intense look on his face under the light of a streetlamp.

They hadn't had time to grab their jackets, so they were both a bit cold as they had made their way in the early morning hours to Denny's in Emeryville. It was one of the few places open on Christmas Day, and there was already a big crowd. It was a perfect place to warm up and get some food and coffee. Dipper was glad that he had stuffed his wallet into his jeans before they had to run. It was bad enough that he was without his hat.

Trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, they had ordered a big breakfast, wanting to prolong their stay in the restaurant for as long as possible, at least until sunrise, so they could figure out what they would do next. Still, they had to keep a close eye on the door, to make sure that one of their parents didn't arrive looking for them.

Hours later, though, things were looking bleak. They had walked towards Berkeley for no particular reason, thinking that keeping on the move was better than staying at the restaurant. But now, they had no idea what to do next.

"Where are we going to go, Dipper?" Mabel asked finally.

Dipper sighed. "I don't know. It's getting colder, and when the sun goes down it'll be even worse." There was more silence as they considered their immediate options. "Maybe we can find a motel for the night, so we'll get out of the cold."

"I'm pretty sure you need a credit card," Mabel replied. "Besides, I don't think anyone would look at us and think we're old enough to get a room together. They'd probably ask for ID. That might get back to Mom and Dad."

"Right," agreed Dipper. "I mean, we could call friends, but what do we tell them? They're gonna want to know why we're not at home for Christmas, and why we can't call our parents. And telling the truth … isn't exactly gonna work."

"We can't call Uncle Steve either, can we?" said Mabel, referring to their mother's older brother who lived in Palo Alto.

Her brother shook his head. "Same thing. He wouldn't accept not getting an explanation why we're hiding from Mom and Dad."

Mabel grabbed Dipper's arm. "What about Grunkle Stan?" she exclaimed. "If _anyone_ would understand us, it would be him! He'd take us in!"

Dipper looked back at Mabel. "What can he do? He's, like, a 10 hour drive from here!"

"We can go to him! Think about it! You've got your wallet, you can get money from a bank machine. The bank offices are closed, so even if Mom and Dad wanted to stop our bank accounts, they won't be able to do it until tomorrow! Buses run every day, including Christmas. We can get on a bus today!"

The idea was better than anything Dipper had thought of. "We should call him first," he suggested, pulling out his phone, then stopped before switching it on. "Wait. Dad probably called the police to look for us. They'll be able to track our phones if we turn them on. We'll have to ask to borrow someone's phone to call Stan," he said as he returned the phone to his pocket. "We'll have to get a prepaid SIM card tomorrow to use ourselves. As long as our batteries last."

Dipper saw Mabel's optimism return, now that they had the beginnings of a plan. "So what do we do next, Broseph?" she said with a genuine smile, her first since before they left their home. "What's the next step?"

Dipper couldn't help but grin back at his sister. " _This_ is," he replied happily. He grasped her waist, then pulled her into a close embrace and a warm, deep kiss. They enjoyed the intimate moment, then gently broke the kiss and stared lovingly at one another. "I love you so much, Mabel," Dipper said weakly.

"You'd better!" teased Mabel quietly. "Cause I love you, too, Dippingsauce." She reached up to peck his lips again. "Now come on, let's go!" she exclaimed, letting go of Dipper's hands, then screeched "TO THE BUS STATION!" and started marching up the street. She got ten paces away before stopping and turning back to her amused, immobile brother.

She crossed her arms dramatically. "Let me guess," she groused. "I started walking the wrong way, didn't I?" Dipper smirked with superiority but said nothing, holding out his hand. Mabel put on a display of sulking, but took her brother's hand as they headed south out of the university campus.

* * *

The twins knew that they could be waiting for some time for a bus that was heading north to Oregon, so they needed to go to a full-service bus terminal, with warm seating and other facilities, to wait. The main Greyhound terminal was on San Pablo, just off the I-980, a couple of hours' walk from Berkeley.

They found the bus station just before 1pm, and discovered that the next northbound bus would leave in only an hour and a half. Delighted with their good fortune, and after verifying the cost of the tickets, they walked down the street to an ATM mounted inside the door of a run-down convenience store.

Dipper saw no benefit to leaving money behind in the account. If they were going to need money, it was more likely to be of use to them in cash. As they had surmised earlier, there was a chance that their parents would close the accounts the next day. He withdrew $460, almost all of the full amount he had in the bank. He grimaced as he looked at the receipt and saw the paltry balance left of his savings. Mabel took Dipper's hand and smiled comfortingly, drawing a smile from him in return.

They stepped out of the store and turned back towards the bus station.

A thin, dirty youth in a ratty hoodie stepped into their path from where he was leaning casually against the building. Pulling his hand out of his pocket, a large switchblade snapped into place. He stared menacingly at the twins.

Instinctively Dipper pulled Mabel behind him, but he already knew that he couldn't win this fight. He'd had no experience with fist fights in over three years, and certainly had never taken on anyone with a knife.

The street thug stepped back and pointed to the ground with his other hand. "Put whatever you got on the ground, money, phones, jewelry ... or I slash you and take your girl," he growled.

Dipper felt his back stiffen, anger rising rapidly. Mabel quickly stepped out from behind him and put her hands on his chest. "Dipper!" she cried. "No! Just … give him what he wants!" Dipper tried to push Mabel behind him again, but she wouldn't budge. She clutched herself to him, holding herself between him and the robber. "Please Dip! Don't! You can't! It's not worth it! I …" her voice caught in her throat. "I can't lose you!" she begged.

Breaking away his glare from the thug and looking at his sister, Dipper saw the desperate fear in Mabel's eyes. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her pleading gaze. Slowly, his muscles relaxed. She was right. Trying to get his hands on this guy _wasn't_ worth it. _She_ was worth it! Mabel was worth everything to him!

* * *

" _Mabel … all that's happened … you're worth it," Dipper murmurs into his sister's ear._

 _Mabel whimpers slightly as she burrows her head closer to Dipper's chest. Both of them are shaking harder than ever now. Dipper has lost the feeling in the tips of his fingers, and his hands are stiff and sluggish with cold. A faint voice in his brain's memory fires out the word "hypothermia", but the logical part is so exhausted that it fails to process what to do._

" _I don't regret it, Mabel … not one second of it," he continues in a quivering voice. "I love you … I love you!"_

* * *

"I love you, Dipper!" Mabel told her despondent brother for seemingly the hundredth time, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "You did the right thing, not getting yourself hurt."

Dipper half-heartedly squeezed back as they walked aimlessly through Oakland. In his mind, he knew she was right, that if he'd lost control against the asshole who took their money and phones, he would have ended up injured, or worse.

But his pride still stung, badly. He hated that they had lost everything now. They had no way to get to Gravity Falls, and no point in trying to contact Stan. They had no money, no food, and insufficient clothing for the increasingly cold afternoon.

"We have to find somewhere to go, and soon," commented Dipper, looking to change the subject.

"Yeah," Mabel agreed. "There must be shelters around, for … you know …" she paused uncomfortably, "... homeless people?" Mabel meekly suggested.

Dipper sagged with the realization that "homeless people" was exactly what they were. The pace of his walk slowed, then he stopped in the middle of the nearly deserted sidewalk, his eyes staring at the concrete slabs under his feet. He allowed the fatigue and despair to finally begin to settle over him. He swallowed hard, trying to fight back the tears rising in his eyes.

Mabel gently wrapped her arms around him, and they quietly wept together.

* * *

The twins tried to maintain as much dignity as they could as they made their way from shelter to shelter. Dipper and Mabel were able to stay for a short while and get a bite to eat at each stop, but repeatedly they were sadly told that the unexpected cold snap had resulted in a shortage of bed space, as well as all warm clothes having already been handed out to other needy people. The sun had set and the temperature had dropped precipitously by the time they reached the third shelter, in the basement of a church in a very seedy part of the city north of Chinatown. They were each given a large old button-up shirt, which provided barely any additional warmth over and above their existing clothes. They thanked the volunteers anyways, and proceeded in the direction of the Fruitvale neighborhood, where they were told there should be more drop in centers.

Mabel found the address they had been directed to, but the door was locked. A drunk hobo stumbled by and lamented in a slurred voice how the place had closed up the previous week. When Dipper asked where they should go instead, the vagrant mumbled an answer that was unintelligible, pointed in three different directions, then staggered off, incoherently grumbling to himself. They envied that at least it looked like his coat was warm. There was virtually no one else around.

Dipper leaned against the wall of the building and massaged his ankles and calves, first one leg and then the other. The long day of nearly non-stop walking was getting to him. He noticed Mabel showing similar discomfort. Both were rubbing their arms and bobbing up and down, feeling the cold dig deep into their cores.

"Maybe we should just … just sit down for a few minutes and rest our feet … just for a few minutes?" suggested Dipper. He and Mabel sat on the cold surface, snuggling together.

For the next half hour, they talked about friends at school, then memories of Gravity Falls, which led to talking about family vacations with their parents. Their conversation drifted into melancholy as they reminisced about past Christmas Day celebrations, all the presents and dinners, singing carols, and other treasured memories of a loving, happy family. Wistfully, they fell silent, both shivering and wishing that everything that had happened that day could be undone.

Finally Mabel turned her head and quietly asked Dipper what they were going to do. He told her they would figure it out together. As long as they had each other, they could do anything!

* * *

 _Dipper's voice is weak and halting._

" _As long … as we have … each other …"_

 _He is unaware that Mabel's shivering has stopped, as has his own. Mabel is almost completely still, her face relaxed, tiny puffs of frosty condensation blowing intermittently from her cracked lips._

" _... as long as …. we're together …"_

 _He brings a frigid hand clumsily up to his sister's cold cheek and hugs her head gently, pressing his lips to the top of her skull and closing his eyes in contentment._

" _... Christmas … will be … perfect ..." he mutters faintly._

 _The weary teenager's strength is finally spent._

 _He falls unconscious._

* * *

To be continued ...


	2. December 26

_Dipper is vaguely aware of strong, fast movement, of loud yet barely audible voices surrounding him. It bothers him, for he just wants to sleep. Soon he finds he is half walking, half being carried. The voices are urgent and concerned, and somehow familiar, but that alone doesn't interest him enough for him to want to wake up. He hears a mechanical noise, and feels a blast of warm air as he is quickly guided to a seated position in the nice warm space._

 _There's something beside him, something he's leaning on. It moves a bit as he lays his weight on it. Reluctantly he cracks open his eyes._

 _Mabel's eyes are just opening as well, staring back at him._

 _On instinct he manages to turn his body towards her, knowing she's doing the same thing, and they wrap their arms around one another. Relaxing into each other, he falls blissfully back asleep as he feels the weight of several thick, fuzzy blankets cover their bodies, followed by the metallic thump of a car door closing._

* * *

Dipper woke up in his bed. He felt leaden and stiff, and the skin on his hands and face felt tender and tight. Out of habit he checked his bedside clock. It was after one in the afternoon.

 _Man, I really slept in!_ he thought to himself. _Why did … oh … ohhhhh shit!_

Memories of the disastrous events of Christmas Day flooded back to him. How he and Mabel had spent twenty-four hours trying to avoid the wrath of their parents. And now he was … home?

He was apprehensive about what it meant that he was home. His parents' reactions had been so negative! How had anyone found him and Mabel? Was Mabel home as well?

He winced in mild pain as he pushed himself up. He had been changed into a pair of pajamas, and the clothes he had worn all day yesterday were over on his dresser. His bed was covered with extra blankets. He realized that he had been experiencing hypothermia the night before: he had been in the cold weather long enough to lower his core body temperature to a dangerous level, but it never got cold enough to damage his skin with frostbite.

On Dipper's end table, beside his alarm clock, was a glass of water. Beneath the glass was a sheet of paper, on which a message had been written in his mother's familiar style with a black Sharpie:

" _We need to talk. Please come downstairs when you feel up to it.  
\- Mom & Dad."_

Dipper gulped down the water. _How bad is this going to be?_ he thought. _Maybe we overreacted when we ran, but now …_

Drinking the water reminded him his bladder was full, and he needed to relieve himself. But more than that, he had to check if Mabel was safe in her room. He peeked out his bedroom door and saw no activity in the hallway. From downstairs he could only hear a radio station, still playing Christmas music. He quietly crept across the hall to Mabel's door.

Before he could even give the door a light knock, it cracked open and he could see his sister peer out with uncertainty. When she saw who was in the hall, she flung open the door as Dipper rushed in to smother her in a strong embrace and quick, urgent kisses.

They held each other for several minutes, then Dipper noticed Mabel holding a sheet of paper, with the same message to her as was on his note from their mother. He looked back into his sister's eyes.

"No matter what happens, Mabel, I love you!" he whispered. "Nothing will ever change that!"

They tenderly held each other close for a long moment, then with reluctance went to get dressed and washed up, in preparation to face judgement from their parents.

* * *

The twins eased their way towards the top of the stairs, their movements thick with trepidation. What awaited them downstairs was a mystery, as they still heard no sound other than festive music. Nodding reassurance to each other, they got halfway down and turned the corner at the landing.

Their mother was sitting on a folding chair in the foyer, looking a bit haggard. They stopped short, unsure of what confrontation would happen next.

She gave them a small, tired smile, but with understanding of their concern. "It's all right, guys," she reassured them. "I was waiting here only in case you two decided to make another break for it." She paused for an instant, concern obvious in her expression. "We warmed you up as best we could. Are the two of you feeling okay?" Dipper nodded mutely, and Mabel squeaked a tiny acknowledgement.

"Good," she said. The fatigued-looking woman rose and gestured to the adjacent room. "Can we all sit down together and talk about all of this?"

As they nervously descended the rest of the stairs, Dipper took Mabel's hand. The action was noticed by their mother, and Dipper saw her place the palm of her hand on her chest as they stepped into the living room. Their father was seated in a chair, looking exhausted and slouched forward with his elbows on his knees. He looked up when the twins crossed the threshold of the doorway. Dipper thought he looked ten years older than he had on Christmas Eve, the last time he had seen him.

"Hey, kids," he said, his face expressionless. He motioned to the sofa beside his chair. "Please … have a seat."

Their mother sat in a chair across from her husband as their children sat, Dipper putting himself between Mabel and their father. The atmosphere was highly uncomfortable and tight with distrust. A long silence hung heavy over the four members of the family.

"So ... " their father began, clearing his throat. "Why don't you start by …"

"How did you find us?" Dipper interrupted. He was desperate to forestall the discussion. He knew it would happen eventually, but he had to draw at any straw. His father actually made a tiny smile at the redirection.

"We called the police. But I've also got an old friend who's a detective at OPD," he explained. "We gave him your cell phone info, and he said he'd feed us information directly. At about 3:30 yesterday afternoon, both your phones connected to the network for less than a minute. Just long enough to establish an approximate position." He raised an eyebrow at his children. "Since we never found your phones, I take it they were stolen?" The twins nodded, as did their father. "We assumed that. My buddy said the thief probably turned them on long enough to determine they worked before he could sell them." He waved his hand dismissively. "Regardless, we knew what neighborhood you were in, so we started there. Figuring you'd have lost everything, we went looking, asking if anyone had seen you. Eventually we found a shelter where someone remembered you, and we followed the trail from there." His expression cracked slightly, his eyes blinking twice. "We got … lucky at the end. When we got to Fruitvale and didn't find anyone who had seen you, we … just started driving up and down the streets. Your Mom spotted you, and we got you into the car."

"You were so cold!" their mother spoke up, wiping her eyes with a tissue. "We thought about taking you to the hospital, but I knew they wouldn't do anything more for you than we could, so we brought you home instead." She pursed her lips, her motherly concern obvious. "I've been taking your temperature often, and you've been back up to normal for a few hours now."

"Thanks, Mom," Mabel said sincerely.

Thier mother swallowed. "But before we got that information about the cell phones, we didn't have anything to go on! We drove around all through the night and day looking for you! Why … why did you …" She exhaled hard, exasperated with herself. "Oh, I _know_ why you ran away and turned off your phones! I just …" She put her hand to her brow and bowed her head down.

"We were scared, Mom!" Mabel cried. "We knew you were mad, and I had a feeling that …" she turned her head towards her father, but didn't quite look at him, "... that Dad wouldn't take it well." She hung her head in shame. "I texted Dipper and convinced him to get dressed and that we had to run away," she quietly confessed.

"No wait! _I_ was one who pulled you out of here, Mabel!" Dipper interjected. "I'm to blame! I shouldn't have just gone off like that."

"Yeah, well _I_ was the one who made sure we stayed hidden all sneaky when the cars were coming by! Being all ninja-like in the shadows so Dad didn't see us!"

Dipper wouldn't allow Mabel to take responsibility for the events of the past day. " _I_ was the one who knew Denny's would be open. I shouldn't have taken us down there. And we shouldn't have kept walking to Berkeley."

Mabel was equally unwilling to let Dipper be at fault, her voice rising with irritation. "Well it was _my_ idea to catch the bus up to Grunkle Stan's, you dope!"

"Oh yeah? Well it was _my_ fault I got robbed!" the volume of Dipper's voice rising to match his sister's.

"Oh, _come on_ , Dipper! I practically had to drag you away from that creep!" she shouted. "You totally would have _kicked his ass_ if he didn't have that knife!"

" _You'd_ have kicked his ass _first_!" he shouted back.

Mabel glared at Dipper, then relaxed. "Yeah, I would've," she sighed. She put her hand on his arm. "Well ... we were _both_ pretty dumbballs for staying outside when it got _really_ cold."

Dipper paused, then nodded. "We should have given up ... and come home," he agreed. "We were both way too stubborn."

She looked into her brother's face with fondness. "Must be one of those cray-cray twin things, huh Broski?" she said with a small smile.

"Must be," Dipper replied with a smile of his own.

Dipper knew they were ready to accept their fate, of whatever it was that their parents would do to them. His smile turned into a knowing smirk. Mabel immediately recognized the cue, and they quickly slapped their hands and fingers together in one of their oldest practiced secret handshakes. "Blip, Blop … Bloopity Bloop … Twins!" they recited, bumping their fists together, followed by fingerguns and silly raspberries. They chuckled softly, then turned to face the music.

They were unprepared for their mother's bright, delighted smile, which she was trying, but not all that hard, to hide behind her hands. Her chest was jumping from suppressed giggles.

Confused, Mabel and Dipper turned their attention to their father. He was shaking his head back and forth, one side of his mouth turned up in bemusement, while looking back at them.

"What?" the twins said in unison.

Still smiling smugly, their father looked over to his wife. She was still shaking with quiet laughter, and nodded to him. He directed his attention back to the kids.

"When I couldn't find you the first few hours, I came home and your mother went out with the car." His face fell. "I thought … I thought that the two of you were … perverted. That because you were … doing _that_ together … I just couldn't understand! So … I took a look around your rooms." This brought a look of uncertainty to the faces of the twins.

"Mabel, you really need to find a better hiding spot for your diary than under your mattress," he told her apologetically. Mabel's mouth fell open in horror at the realization that her father had read her innermost secrets.

"And Dipper," their father continued, "I'd have thought you'd know better than to leave your email account logged in on your computer, and for your screen password to be 'ihatebill'. I mean, Dip, think about security! Not even one capital!" his father deadpanned as Dipper's face paled.

"And of course, when my detective buddy put in the trace on the cell phone locations, he also pulled the text message history, and forwarded a copy of _that_ to me, as well." The twins were completely mortified now, as they recalled what manner of sexting their father had access to viewing.

Their father ploughed ahead. "I take no joy in snooping around in your private things, and I'm sorry. I really am. But I had no choice! And …" His voice halted. He steadied himself and then continued while staring at the wall behind where his children sat. "And after all that I read … I found that ... you're _not_ perverts!" He focused on Dipper's face, then Mabel's.

"You're just … you're just _in love!_ "

Dipper and Mabel gaped at their father in disbelief.

Having finally composed herself, their mother added, "You two have been crazy close all your lives! Your father and I have never failed to be delighted with the way you've always been there for each other, standing up for one another! And think about all that the two of you have _been_ through, particularly that one summer in Oregon! Well, of course you love and care for each other, we _never_ doubted that." She paused to give her eyes a swift swipe with her tissue. "But for it to become _even more_ … we never thought … we just never _considered_ that your feelings for each other could grow to the level they have."

The twins' hands grip to one another grew tighter as their mother continued, "But now that this is out in the open, now that we've thought about it … it makes … _sense!_ " she exclaimed. "I look at you, and I look at the way you act together, and how you do things together … just the way you _are_ together … and … and _well OF COURSE you're in love!_ " She looked back to her husband. "How did we never see this before?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, dear," he replied with a sigh. "But you're right … Our children have fallen in love with each other!"

Dipper couldn't believe what he was hearing. Their mother and father weren't furious anymore! Could it be that they were … _accepting_ of their feelings? He turned to face Mabel, not daring to show the excitement he was feeling. He could see the same emotions threatening to burst from his sister.

But then their father's attention refocused in the direction of the teenagers. He spoke reluctantly. "And now ... we _all_ have to deal with it."

The last statement hung over the room for what seemed an eternity. Dipper, wishing he knew where this would lead, finally broke the silence. " _What_ … do we all have to deal with?"

Their father managed to look everywhere in the twins' general direction, except directly at them. "Your mother and I decided that …" he stopped to cough and rub his mouth with his palm. "We've decided that you two are free to … to continue to …" he swallowed with difficulty, "... have _sex_ … here in the house."

Four faces in the room immediately became noticeably redder. Dipper couldn't imagine a more awkward conversation topic for a teenager to have with his folks.

"We know that if we forbid it now, you'll only do it when we're not at home anyways," their mother added with embarrassment, "or do something foolish somewhere else, where you're not safe!"

"But we have three rules," their father put in quickly. "First, you _have_ to use protection."

His wife glanced over to him. "Is this a discussion for you to have with our son, or me with our daughter?"

"Mo-om!" groaned the twins in unison.

Their father grunted. "Probably both, to be safe."

A louder harmonious groan. "Da-aaaad!"

He simply continued on. "Second, you restrict your … time together …" he was forced to cough again, "... to here the house, and _nowhere else!_ You … you really don't have to be ashamed of who you're in love with, but I'm sure you already realize how this whole … 'incest' thing works in society."

"Yep, we got it!" Mabel piped up.

Dipper was in just as much of a hurry to end this conversation. "Loud and clear, Dad!"

"Finally," began their mother, then after taking a deep breath, she continued, "... We don't ever want to hear a thing!"

" _Ever!_ " emphasized their father immediately.

"Okay!" agreed the twins together as quickly as possible. Not one of the four people in the room was looking anyone else in the eye. Mabel's fingers were tightly wound in her long hair, and the back of Dipper's neck was getting raw from his hand rubbing it vigorously.

After a few seconds of excruciating silence, Dipper and Mabel jumped as their father forcefully slapped his thighs. "Well!" he declared. "So much for the elephant in the room," as he gave the teens a lopsided smile. Their mother's expression was of understanding and compassion.

Mabel couldn't hold back any longer. "So … are we all ... _okay_ now?" she asked timidly, tears threatening to burst from her eyes. Dipper moved his free hand over to join the other in Mabel's grip, and quickly all four hands were clutched together.

There was a short laugh from both of their parents. "We don't know!" their mother replied. At the twins worried look, she continued, "Well, this is all new for your father and I, too, you know? There's a _lot_ of stuff we haven't talked about yet, things that I don't know if you've even given any thought to." She looked back to her husband. "But right now, today … our family missed Christmas this year, and I for one would rather celebrate a day late than not at all!"

Shrugging his shoulders, their father waved at the speakers. "We've still got Christmas music playing," he said, then he gestured to the decorated tree. "There's presents under the tree, eggnog in the fridge, and the turkey is in the oven." Rising to his feet and smiling, he stuck out his hand to Dipper. "What d'ya say, Dip? I haven't slept in two days. Can you help your tired old man bring in some wood for the fireplace?"

The massive weight of the events of the last day, plus that of months of subterfuge, suddenly evaporated from Dipper's shoulders. He sobbed violently as he grabbed his father's hand, then leapt to his feet and attempted to crush him in the biggest embrace he could manage. His cheeks were already soaked by rivers of pent up tears streaming down his face, as he heard a stifled sniffle from his father.

Mabel crashed into her brother and father, hugging and bursting into loud cries of happiness and relief. She was followed immediately by their mother, who also joined in the tight family huddle.

"We love you," both twins sobbed together as they all tried to hug one another.

"We love you, too," replied their parents.

* * *

 _Dipper's arms are wrapped tightly around Mabel from behind, holding her back against his chest. They are spooned together, his lower hand grasping her hip, the top hand cupping one of her breasts. Their legs are intertwined, and neither twin is the least bit bothered by the sticky sweat between their bare bodies as Dipper nuzzles the nape of Mabel's neck._

" _Wowsers!" gasps Mabel, trying to regain her breath. "That was … bleeping incredible!" as she scoots her butt harder to her twin's pelvis while lightly caressing his fingers._

 _Dipper chuckles happily, panting along with her. "_ You're _bleeping incredible!" he murmurs back, squeezing her nipple while sliding his lower hand towards her crotch. She squirms and squeals delightedly._

" _Stop!" Mabel cries, trying to keep her voice down and pulling Dipper's hands back to their previous positions. He grumbles playfully, blowing a zerbert between her shoulder blades and triggering another laugh._

 _They sigh contentedly. "It was nice, just this once, to know that Mom and Dad were so tired, that they weren't gonna hear anything we did tonight," Dipper says, pulling his sister against himself a bit harder._

" _Yeeeaaaaahh … I wish we could get used to that!" Mabel giggles, then her voice turns mischievous. "But what is this 'it WAS nice' and 'just this ONCE' nonsense I'm hearing from my Bro Bro?"_

 _Dipper barely has time to raise an eyebrow, when Mabel twists around out of his grip, pins him down on his back, and smothers him in kisses. He gladly succumbs and returns as many kisses as he is able._

 _She groans passionately, grinding her mouth and hips onto her brother. He moans back into her mouth, and she feels him grow beneath her again._

 _Slowly Mabel breaks the kiss, while continuing to rock her hips against Dipper's. Her expression turns sincere as she gazes into her lover's eyes. "You know ... we're really lucky!"_

" _I know," Dipper replies, his smile growing. "I can't believe it! After what happened two nights ago … and then all day yesterday … look where we are now! We don't …" he quickly laughs, "... we don't have to be afraid anymore!"_

 _Mabel's smile is as broad as Dipper's. "I love you, Dip!"_

 _Dipper lunges up to meet Mabel's kiss, then holds her as he rolls them over. He enters her, and the twins cry out in ecstasy as their pubic bones meet._

" _I love you too, Mabes," Dipper pants. "Merry Christmas!"_

" _Aw, Merry Christmas to you, too," Mabel growls. "Now shut up and make love to me!"_

 _They're not freezing cold. And there is no longer any judgement from their parents. The danger is in the past. They had suffered from the exposure. But now, at home at least, they are safe!_


End file.
